The Jefferson Public Library is the recipient of a generous gift in the amount of $941.69 from the Norma Jean Warner Trust.
485 public libraries and 128 senior community centers across Iowa are the beneficiaries of Warner’s estate.
Warner was born in Clarke County, in south central Iowa. She and her husband Waldo, a World War II and Korean War veteran, lived in Des Moines. She worked at an optical shop and he worked at Pittsburgh Paints. They lived a modest life, had no children, and invested well.
Warner directed nearly all of her estate to charity, dispersing it all across Iowa to libraries, senior centers, veterans, conservation, cancer and Alzheimer’s research, and food banks.
Norma Jeane Warner. Photo courtesy of the Abendroth Russell Barnett Law Firm.
The long list of beneficiaries of Warner’s trust of just over $3 million clearly shows the high value she placed on philanthropy and support for Iowa’s small towns, designating $500,000 of the funds be given to public libraries and senior community centers in towns with fewer than 7,000 residents.
Envelopes with checks began arriving in Iowa’s libraries in February with an accompanying letter from Ross Barnett, an attorney with Abendroth Russell Barnett Law Firm, who helped administer the distributions.
“Norma was known for her quiet strength, sharp intellect, and deep compassion for others. Throughout her life, she believed firmly in the power of education and the dignity of aging with support and connection. These values guided her personal life and her remarkable acts of giving,” the letter reads.
“I hope that her generosity will benefit places where curiosity is nurtured, friendships are formed, and community bonds are strengthened. Her memory will live on in every book read, every conversation shared, and every life touched through the institutions she so lovingly supported."
Director Jane Millard was especially touched by this unexpected gift.
“Someone we never met chose to impact many lives through her selfless giving. Norma Jean Warner recognized that places such as libraries are where people gather to create and experience community."
"Communities thrive when people have opportunities to connect and learn. In her own quiet way, Warner has made a big impact,” she said.
Libraries across the state have chosen to use the gift from the Warner trust in a variety of ways including funds for children’s summer reading programs, adding materials to their collections, and sponsoring after-school activities.
The Jefferson Public Library will add this gift to the fund for the future expansion of the library.
“In this way, Norma Jean Warner will be remembered in Jefferson,” said Millard.
